THE WEEK AHEAD

SANTIAGO : Latin Air Show

Chile's eighth International Air and Space Fair, billed as "the most complete and advanced show of aerospace technology" in South America, opens Sunday in Santiago. About 400 exhibitors from more than 30 countries are scheduled to participate.

Stars of the show are expected to include Russian SU-27, SU-30 and MIG-29 warplanes. U.S. and French companies will compete with demonstrations of executive planes, the Cessna Citation VI and the Dassault Falcon 900.

But South American countries have also become players in the production and sale of warplanes and civilian aircraft. Brazilian-made aircraft have cracked a number of overseas markets.

Chilean President Eduardo Frei, who took office Friday, will officially open the fair.